Public safety
is an important responsibility of the Nolan County Sheriff's
Office; each year, patrol deputies supervise the impoundment
of numerous abandoned vehicles and vehicles involved in
unfortunate circumstances on our county and state roadways.

Law Enforcement Non-Consensual Towing

A motor vehicle
is abandoned if:

The motor vehicle
is inoperable, is more than five years old, and has
been left unattended on public property for more than
48 hours;

The motor vehicle has remained illegally
on public property for more than 48 hours;

The motor vehicle has remained on
private property without the consent of the owner
or person in charge of the property for more than
48 hours;

The motor vehicle has been left unattended
on the right-of-way of a designated county, state,
or federal highway for more than 48 hours;

The motor vehicle has been left unattended
for more than 24 hours on the right-of-way of a turnpike
project constructed and maintained by the Texas Turnpike
Authority division of the Texas Department of Transportation
or a controlled access highway; or is considered an
abandoned motor vehicle under Section 644.153(r)

When the vehicle has been disabled
in a traffic accident and the owner/operator is not
at the scene or is unable to exercise that right.

When the vehicle is unattended and
the deputy has reasonable grounds to believe that
the vehicle has been abandoned for longer than 48
hours

When the vehicle is disabled so that
normal operation is impossible or impractical and
the owner or person in charge of the vehicle is incapacitated
and unable to provide for the vehicle's removal or
custody or the owner or person in charge of the vehicle
is not in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle

When the vehicle is disabled so that
normal operation is impossible or impractical and
the owner or person in charge of the vehicle does
not designate a particular towing or storage company;

When the vehicle is operated by a
person a deputy arrests for an alleged offense and
the deputy is required by law to take the person into
custody

When in the opinion of the deputy,
a hazard interferes with a normal function of a governmental
agency, or because of a catastrophe, emergency, or
unusual circumstance is imperiled.

When the vehicle is illegally parked
in violation of a Texas State Statute.

Examples would include blocking
the roadway, blocking the entrance to a private driveway,
parking within an intersection or crosswalk, parking
too close to a fire hydrant or traffic control sign,
and several other reasons. If your vehicle becomes disabled
on a traffic-way or roadway and it is a hazard or impedes
traffic, it will be impounded.

This office has a contractual agreement with numerous
towing companies throughout this county for service
as it applies to Law Enforcement initiated tows. With
this mechanism in place, the Nolan County Sheriff's
Office can protect the public with the use of towing
regulated pricing and rules.